


New Traditions

by mageicalwishes



Series: Carry On Countdown 2020 [1]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Carry On Countdown 2020 (Simon Snow), Carry On Countdown Day 1, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Found Family, M/M, Post-Book 2: Wayward Son
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:20:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27715349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mageicalwishes/pseuds/mageicalwishes
Summary: The Gang start a new Festive tradition filled with love, laughter, music, food, and fun.Carry On Countdown, Day 1 - Found Family.
Relationships: Penelope Bunce & Shepard, Penelope Bunce/Shepard, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch & Simon Snow, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Series: Carry On Countdown 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2027147
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28
Collections: Carry On Countdown 2020





	New Traditions

**Simon**

When Baz invited us all over, I thought it was a bit cheesy to be honest - Like a scene out of those corny Christmas films, where the small town country girl falls in love with a big businessman and changes his heart (Which, I happen to know, Baz secretly loves). 

But he said that we all deserved to celebrate Christmas properly, given the recent years’ events, and now that I’m here … I’m thinking that he was right (As always). 

Everyone has managed to make it - Baz, Penny, Shepard, Fiona - Even _Aggie_ showed up (Well, kind of. She’s sat looking disinterested on Penny’s laptop screen, which is close enough). 

Baz has spelled his Violin to play all of the Christmas Classics, and the room is filled with a gentle hum of ‘Santa Baby’. 

Shepard is telling us about the time he _swears_ he met one of Santa’s Elves (Although, in reality, it was probably just a short drunk person, given that it was in some random Chicago bar). 

And there’s food. _So much food._ Baz made us all Sour Cherry Scones (He got the recipe off of Cook Prichard for my last Birthday), Shepard brought Christmas tree Peep marshmallows, Penny brought a plate of her mum’s famous Onion Bhajis, and Baz bullied Fiona into donating some of her Lavender Biscuits. I forgot (Because I’m thick, probably), but Baz says that it’s okay - He just wants me here. 

For all my initial doubts, it’s perfect - It’s warm, and relaxed, and _us._

* * *

We’re halfway through decorating the tree, when Fiona comes back into the room and starts snickering at us. 

“Basil, _really?_ I thought you said that you’d make sure that it looked _nice._ The neighbours can see that, you know? I won’t have your little posse embarrassing me.”

“Hey!” I pout. “It looks fine. We’re not even done yet, so just … Wait.” 

“Biting words, Golden Boy,” she sneers (She’s always sneering at me).

“It’s fine,” he drones. “And I _have_ been making sure that it looks presentable.” 

It’s true. He’s been fussing over the tree all evening - Hovering behind me and subtly shifting the baubles that I have placed when he thinks I’m not looking, and scalding Shep for ‘messing up’ the branches. Although his reassurance just seems to amuse her. 

“Hardly. You let them put _Tinsel_ on it. Cheap, tacky, _horrible_ Tinsel. You _hate_ Tinsel.” She spits it like a curse (Apparently, Pitches really don’t _do_ Tinsel). 

“Yes well … Call me a convert.” 

“Snow wanted it didn’t he?” 

He looks down at the floor, embarrassed, and I swear my heart swells three sizes as he mumbles out a defence.

“It looks fine with it on,"

“Of course,” she teases, raising a perfectly slit eyebrow. “And the star? What happened to that?” 

“I put it there,” I challenge. 

After I told Penny that I’d never done it, she insisted (Apparently you can’t go your whole life without putting the star on top of the tree. It’s some sort of crime against Christmas). So, Baz lifted me on his shoulders and held me up (Even though I told him I could just get a chair), wobbling me about in the air until I begged for reprieve. 

The resultant Star placement is certainly a bit ... _questionable,_ and more than a little skew-whiff, but I like it. I don’t want it to change. 

She tuts, pointing an accusatory finger at Baz’s chest. “You, kiddo, have gone _soft._ Letting him desecrate the tree like that … I expected better.” 

“Piss off,” he scoffs. “Don’t you have a fangless vampire to go and entertain.” 

And with a flick of her two-tone hair, she’s gone - Floating back off to her room to do God knows what. 

“Your Aunt is kinda' a bitch, bro,” Shepard laughs, Baz glaring daggers at him, as Penny swats at his thigh sharply. 

“Watch it, _Yankee._ Or you _won’t_ be coming back next year?” 

“Next year?” I ask, picking at my scone hesitantly. 

Turning towards me, he scrunches up his brow, panic written plainly across his face.

“I didn’t mean to … pressure you. I mean, we don’t _have_ to, there’s no expectation. I was just thinking that, since neither of us really has any Christmas traditions, that maybe _this_ could be _ours._ A sort of annual found family celebration. But … only if you want. Obviously.” 

A Christmas tradition. A _family_ Christmas tradition. Friends and food and laughter and fun. _Wicked._

Countless nights I’ve kept myself awake, imagining what it would be like to have such a thing. Loving parents, siblings to keep me company, oodles of presents under a humongous tree just for me. Love. A family. A _home._

And while this is far from the picturesque celebration that I’d always dreamt of, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Because this is _real._

I’m not the same lonely boy that I once was. I don’t need fairy tales about posh model mums and footballer fathers to keep me happy, because what I have - The _family_ that I have - are _far_ better than anything I could've invented. 

“Next year,” I smile. “Definitely.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed :) Comments and kudos, appreciated.  
> My Tumblr: [Link text](https://mageicalwishes.tumblr.com/)  
> 


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